It was an unmistakable sight through Kuch's eyes. "Perhaps it is only appropriate we begin with our own patron," the caretaker warmly told while placing the idol on the altar, likely returning it to where it should have been. "My family are devout worshipers of the Goddess Belle, the divine of the night and death."

  Belle...that did sound an awful lot like Isabella. And again, that statue had a striking resemblance of Lighthouse's vampire knight. I guess she did have a solemn and serious side when taking lore seriously, but most of the time? She liked to be far more 'silly' with us when it came to delivering her perceived justice against perpetrators.

  The carving of here felt far too focused, too brooding in comparison, and there some other pointed differences. Her lance had mysteriously turned into a scythe, and she now bore a cloak that looked to be made of raven feathers. Those were details something I actually did recognize, for once. It'd been the signature armament of the god of death I did remember from FLOW-

  Oh. Oh I think I was starting to understand how the Ten Divines and the Ten Lights tied together now.

  My doll was already asking to see if I couldn't confirm my suspicions. "How interesting. I've once heard the god of death instead being one named Nightbell."

  "I'm afraid I've never heard of them being referred to as such, but I would not put it pass other parts of the world. They could have their own titles for her and focus on different aspects. From what I was taught, and what those before me were taught too, Belle is the most common way she is referred to in the empire. Her greatest domain for me is that as the goddess of death, she who guides the fallen to their resting place."

  "I see. Can I ask about the other Ten Lights?"

  "Of course, though my knowledge of them is unfortunately lacking in comparison. We are hardly a grand cathedral where all given worship so."

  It was scant information on the others, but I was able to learn that some of the other members of Lighthouse had been similarly fused with their closest equivalents to the old Ten Divines I knew. Joan, for example, had turned now into Johanna, the chief deity who oversaw all gods and was thus the divine of justice. I think the real priestess would either be scandalized or horrified to learn she had merged with her personal patron. Similarly, Ironfist had apparently been combined with his counterpart to become Ironhammer, god of crafts and builds.

  No, I wasn't going to start worshiping that drunken dwarf engineer who regularly dumped beer into lava to 'spite the daemon!'

  When Kuch mentioned Faust though, the caretaker's face paled and she instantly put a finger to her lips. "Hush child, for some gods are more sensitive than others. They are not necessarily wicked or evil, but some of their followers are. So in many provinces of the empire, worship of them is merely tolerated, if not outlawed. It is a debate the faith themselves struggle to reconcile with."

  So Faust had turned into...Faust. Huh, the name apparently overrode the previous god of knowledge. But apparently, their demonic thirst to become all-knowing had been fused and intensified, so they stood now as a god of knowledge and secrets. This was in contrast to their good counterpart, the now titled Anlin, the god of wisdom and truth.

  I mean, I could see it. The brainiacs of Lighthouse did stand always stand opposite to one another, both of them trying to outdo each other when it came to trivia nights. But they never had disliked one another, often actually being our information gatherer and strategist working in concert with each other. To hear them now at odds in an apparent divine conflict between secrets and truth was...weird.

  The entire transformation of the pantheon was surreal, to be quite honest. If the real Ten Lights players had heard of such, they'd be somewhere between chaffed, honored, horrified, and upset. Some of the labels didn't fit and sounded just crudely shoved in over time until it had become accepted. Others, I could think of more fitting roles that they were just shoved out of. And of course, the entire discord between some of them being 'good' and 'evil' divines.

  Lighthouse would've absolutely petitioned to be considered one or the other wholly for min maxing. Probably on the evil side, to be honest, for most of us when we had gotten a little rowdy.

  I did ask for what they knew of Lighthouse, but again, it was mentioned to be more of a classical story tale than a matter of religion. When I hinted at the Ten Lights being part of Lighthouse, the caretaker looked somewhat confused, but shrugged and accepted it as a 'possibility.' I would have loved to ask far more about everybody, but Kuch could sense the elderly dwarf growing tired and so I refrained. Instead, I simply mentioned that we probably should all get some rest, including finding the napping Mordred some place to stay.

  At which point, both Gunther and her chuckled and mentioned her son owned that inn that the Eber Marauders had recommended. How about that. We got free room and board as part of thanks for retrieving the idol, which was nice. Gunther even expressed how oddly coincidentally that had all been, giving us an eyeful before shrugging. I suppose we definitely had earned his trust.

  He was a good man, I guessed. Could even shape up to be a decent adventurer despite his age.

  Moving on, now that we had a place to stay along with the trust of the local community, we could start asking a lot of questions about the local markets. Or rather, Kuch did while Mordred found herself being invited by the Eber Marauders to join in some beast hunts posted by Hans the guard captain. There was a real worry that aggressive wildlife could try their luck with the breached walls, so some preemptive extermination was necessary.

  The dragon could take care of herself and earn some much needed coin, so I encouraged her to do so. I was pretty sure Mordred would rip my head off if I told her to just sit through while I chatted up the local businesses. It'd take time but eventually, people got used to the sight of the armored Kuch asking around. They didn't even question the helmet my doll always wore anymore, which was quite nice.

  I still didn't know how society treated puppets, so better safe than sorry.

  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------?

  Puppets- Said to be messengers of Evkai, divine of deception and trickery, they are beings that the church advises extreme caution in dealing with. Accept neither their blessing nor curse.

  Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

  "But I should like to meet one some day," the dashing young man mentioned, tapping his finger against the page of the rare book he'd bought from the merchant in town. It even had a rough illustration of one, showing the jointed individual apparently wielding some sort of divine tool from the gods. "The church may be right, but it still warrants firsthand experience doesn't it? Only then can you claim to under all aspects of the divine."

  "It...it is as you say, my lord!" squeaked the failed thief, terrified. "Truly, only under the master of all can rule Viszal!"

  "Yet I am not ruler yet, for my sire still lives," Eifer patiently reminded with a gentle smile. The robber felt no reassurance from the expression, not when they had seen the same smile when he had ordered a village of 'heretics' burned for their blasphemy. "And I am no master of the divine yet when my collection still remains so incomplete. Thanks in part to your failure."

  "F-forgive me, I know my failures can hardly be excused but-"

  "Fret not, for forgiveness is the gift of Divine Johanna to humanity," he silkily told. "In fact, you have even done well to get back to me. Something rather interesting developed while you were away, so I would have you visit the black markets in my steed."

  "W-what- But of course! I know where to go, who to speak to, you only need to name whom!"

  "The Broker, I hear they're in town. Please, make inquiries and inform them that I would like for them to visit my abode in good time. Should they question your legitimacy, here." Eifer plucked a ring from his hands and placed it in the thief's hands. "Use this as demonstration of my trust in you. You may even show it to the guards when you return for a reward I've already set aside, just for you."

  "Your generosity knows no bounds, my lord- erm, lord to-be! I will carry out my duty!"

  The man watched the thief scurry off with a small smile, waiting until he saw them depart through the castle. He turned his attention back to the letter he had just received from, a curious private letter that originated from his neighbors of House Cordis. Apparently, their young daughter wished to know how everybody was.

  It was barely much effort to notice the very clumsy and awkward attempts at hinting of courtship.

  The fact it was private correspondence delivered separately from the official inquiries was a curious detail that he didn't overlook. An action taken without blessing of her house then? Oho. Combined with the rumored troubles in Gabion as of late, then this was perhaps an opportunity. No, he amended with a pleasant smile, a gift from the Ten Divines. A blessing for his devotion to the faith, all the alms he had contributed to those who wished it, all the blood he had provided for those who desired it.

  Truly, there was no such thing as good or evil gods. Only those who were weak, and those who blessed their chosen.

  And Eifer truly believed he was one of the chosen with such opportunities like his sire's failing health and that of Her Radiance. Why should he not? He was a pious man.

  "Steward," he said aloud, summoning his aide. "Contact that merchant from whom I bought this book. I have a bargain offer for them. And prepare my chapel, I would like to pray to the Ten Lights for the blessings sent my way."

  "Certainly sir. Anything else?"

  "Oh, please do inform the guards that somebody will come around bearing one of my rings. They are a heretic. Arrest and burn them at the stake."

  "I-it will be done."

  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------?

  Mordred felt slightly bored even as she skewered a bear with Heart-Piercer. Sure, it was exciting the first time, but it was losing a bit of the charm with how often she'd done it by now. That wasn't to say there still wasn't a bit of satisfaction, but it was like counting coins in a hoard. One could only do it so many times before wondering if there was a way to make that number go up or go down. Preferably the former.

  At least, she admitted, she never tired of the gaping looks that the Eber Marauders gave her whenever she handled them by themselves. Really, it was starting to get a little concerning even. Anybody could it with a bit of training and good gear, no?

  Whatever. She got fights, she got food, she got drinks, she got paid. According to Kuch, that's an adventurer's lifestyle and, if Mordred was forced to confess, she...actually really enjoyed it. Maybe even more than being a terrifying dragon and sleeping all day.

  Wasn't that a freaking weird thought. Stupid puppet and their dolls must've infected her with their insanity.

  "Another clean kill," Gunther praised, checking the bear corpse with a pleased smile. "Quickly, you dolts, she's not going to do all the work for us! Pull your weight and get cleaning, let's not waste the kill. Everything we take apart and sell is more that goes in our pockets!"

  "Why not just drag the body back to the city and process it there?" Mordred question, wiping the blood off her weapon. "Wouldn't it better to sell it wholesale to an expert from there?"

  The experienced mercenary made a face and shook his head. "I've seen their work, I'm not impressed. But you can't expect quality out here in the western frontier; nothing against them, but it just is the way of things. Honestly, the best thing I've seen ever since coming here is whatever you adventurers are using. That's got to be the finest lance I've ever seen."

  She grinned and hefted it slightly before strapping it back across her back. "It's special. An expert made it for me."

  "Any chance I could get a recommendation- ah no, they're probably over in the far western kingdom, aren't they?" Gunther groaned and shook his head. "No way I can afford a ship voyage over. Maybe I should start saving up…"

  The dragon let him grumbled and ruminate on the lack of craftsmanship, but the thought was now bouncing around in her head. When Kuch and her had packed for their first visit to the city, they brought mainly potions. But apparently the doll had decided they couldn't sell those, which was a bummer, they worked well but was apparently too dangerous for some reason. She didn't quite get it.

  Did new weapons fall under that too? She supposed she could bring the idea up to Kuch anyhow.

  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------?